C'est Pas Une Vie
by DemolitionLvr
Summary: Robin returns from 'The Quest' to find his friends wearing his clothes. Normally he'd be mad about that, right? Why was he so cool with it? Hint: it's because he thinks Raven looks really sexy in his outfit. COMPLETE Rae/Rob
1. C'est Pas Une Vie: post 'The Quest'

**A/N: I'd like to start by thanking those who have reviewed or favorited my other stories. It means a lot.**

**The title is from a song by the French singer Yelle. However, I just liked the title, and the story is not relates to the song at all.  
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**Alright, so this is set right after the Quest (remember the season 3 episode where Robin goes to find the True Master and comes back to find his friends all wearing his clothes?). I think Raven looked pretty good in them. So this is how I would continue that episode. enjoy!**

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><p>"You know Robins, the mask makes me feel cool too."<p>

Raven had never blushed more in her life. When the couch holding the four faux Robins fell backwards in their shock, she didn't see how she could regain any dignity. She found it necessary to leave the room. Immediately.

Wearing her usual stoic expression, Raven separated herself from the three other friends she'd collapsed with. She stood, peeled off the domino mask, and faced the real Robin as if nothing had happened. It was her only defense from feeling absolutely ridiculous. "Welcome back. I trust your adventure wasn't in vain?"

Robin smirked. "Nope, I found the True Master all right. No one will ever beat me in martial arts again." Robin clenched his hand in a determined fist.

"Right," Raven absently wished she had her cloak as she turned in the direction of the door. Her exits appeared much cooler when her friends couldn't see the last vestiges of her blush. She needed to keep emotionally distant- her destiny was a fast approaching threat. She sighed.

"I'll put your suit through the wash and return it to you," she monotonously promised as she left. Robin raised an eyebrow. After watching her hips sway while she walked for a few moments, he got up and jogged after her.

The three left standing by the couch all tilted their head in unison as their leader followed the empath. "Uuuh," Beast Boy piped up, "Anyone know what that was all about?"

Cyborg shook his head. Starfire on the other hand, felt sadness filling her. She'd missed Robin so much, but instead of talking to her or hugging her, the first thing he does is chase after Raven? Starfire tried to quell the jealousy and disappointment, telling herself that nothing was happening between her two friends, but she couldn't quite make herself believe it. After Raven had shocked her by even agreeing to wear Robin's clothes, maybe something was going on.

Jogging after Raven who'd flown to her room in raven form, Robin reached her bedroom very quickly. He knocked on the door but received no answer. Instead of waiting, he punched in his override code and the door opened to reveal Raven removing his gloves. His mask sat on her bed and his boots were off her feet. She looked at him as the door opened and raised an annoyed eyebrow.

Leaning on her door frame, he smirked. "You were the last person I would have expected to enter someone's room and try on their clothes."

She, having no good retort, looked down uncomfortably. Instead of her usual sarcasm she treated him with a it of truth. "Beast Boy started the whole thing, Starfire was depressed with missing you, and Cyborg wanted a part of the fun. They just pulled me in."

"Is that so," he mused.

She looked at him oddly, then she noticed where his attention lay- her body, still dressed in his clothing. She felt awkward under his gaze. Thinking that perhaps he wanted his clothes back, she moved to take his cape off of her shoulders. He just smirked.

"You know, you look really hot in my clothes."

This stopped her hands where they were on the clasp of the cape.

He laughed, "Oh, please don't stop on my account; as much as I like seeing you wearing my suit, I'd love to see you undress in front of me."

Her eyes opened wide, looking scandalized. Within moments, though, she had reigned in her emotions once again.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," he said quietly.

"Do what?" Her tone was no nonsense, but he could tell she was curious.

He finally entered her room. He took several steps towards her, and she didn't back down- it was against her nature to show fear.

"Hide your emotions from us. We're your friends. We care about you," he answered. He stepped even closer, completely invading her personal space, but she didn't show any signs of discomfort. When he stopped less than a foot from her, he continued, "Some of us more than others."

Her eyes remained blank, resisting his attempts to bother her into displays of emotions. Her stubbornness was beginning to piss him off.

"You know that my powers are controlled by my emotions. I can't afford to get too close to you. I'm sorry," she looked down at her bare feet. Her tone was monotonous as usual but it held sincerity that he could hear clearly.

"But Raven, here's the thing, I _don't_ know that. I don't think emotions make you lose control. Your powers only lash out when you lose control of your anger. And even then, you get frustrated with us all the time and nothing explodes."

She watched him with narrowed eyes. She knew how her powers worked better than anyone, so what was he trying to say?

He continued, softly, "Remember that time with Malchior?" He saw her flinch and felt bad for touching that particular nerve, so he grabbed her hand and continued on, "You were in love with him, and you were happy, but you could still use your powers perfectly. So what are you hiding from?"

She stared at him, a little sadly, looking a little lost. He squeezed her hand and brought his other hand to her cheek. "You've literally been in my head, Rae. You can't tell me you don't know that I..."

He kissed her. Her lips were soft and sweet, and he never wanted to stop. For a second he thought he'd never have to, because she kissed him back. She pressed her mouth against his gently, moving in rhythm with his lips. He licked her bottom lip and she thoughtlessly opened her mouth to grant him entrance. They continued for several more seconds.

Then the dream broke, because she pulled her mouth away from his, pushed his chest away and took a shaky breath. "You'll find out soon why you shouldn't get attached to me, and why I have to control my powers. Forget this happened, Robin. It's for the best."

A black claw made from her soul-self reached out and pushed Robin from her bedroom. Once it relinquished its grasp around his torso her door started closing, shutting on his view of her gorgeous sad face and his outfit on her body. He jumped up and ran to her closing door.

It shut in his face. He pounded on the metal, shouting, "Dammit Rae you can't just deny this!"

He tried unlocking the door for the second time that day, but as he began punching the code, a black hole opened under him. Raven's powers dropped him back in the middle of the living room, where the others were still wearing his clothes. He growled at the sight; it made him think of Raven, the feel of his clothes on her body as he kissed her, and the sight of her in his clothes as her door closed on his single greatest hope. "Get out of my clothes," he commanded as he made his way to the training room to punch out his frustration, sexual and otherwise. "Just because I was gone doesn't make my stuff your playthings." The other three looked at each other, wondering about his change in attitude.

Raven slid to the floor as she released her powers, knowing that he wouldn't come back after she so blatantly pushed him away. Her breathing hitched as she tried to hold back her pain. Meditation would be the best option right now, but she couldn't get herself off the floor to do it. Instead she knelt on the ground and cried. Her books one by one were surrounded by black and thrown off the shelf, making a huge pile of tomes in a corner of her room. When they were all on the floor her light bulb exploded. She gasped at the sudden darkness.

Trails of tears ran down her face, but her breathing was even once again. She regained control as she would any other day when someone annoyed her. She stood and realized she was still wearing Robin's clothes, so she changed into her leotard and draped her cloak over her shoulders. She floated a bit into the air, crossed her legs and began her mantra, "Azarath metrion zinthos. Azarath metrion zinthos."

It was just another day where she had to deny all of her better emotions for fear of her father gaining control of the worse ones. Her feeling could hurt her friends, and she never wanted that to happen.

Half of her wished that Robin hadn't said anything so it wouldn't hurt her so much to stay away from him. Yet the other half was just glad to know that even if she was going to destroy the world, at one time she was loved by someone- it gave her strength she knew she'd need to face her father.

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><p><strong>AN: Yes I know the ending is depressing as all hell, but it was before The End, so she couldn't express herself at all yet or risk her father gaining power over her. And the episode after 'The Quest' is 'Birthmark,' where Slade shows up, bringing up the issue of her destiny, and she freezes time, but unfreezes Robin****. If you think about this followed by that, it totally makes sense, doesn't it?  
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**Oh, and I have an idea for a similar story, right after Revved Up (Ya know, where they have the race for Robin's most prized possession?) that coincides with this. If you want it, review. Cheers.**

**PS- Review. Seriously. One word is fine.  
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	2. The Aftermath is Secondary: 'The End'

Post The End. Continuation of C'est Pas Une Vie.

**A/N: I told you I planned sequels. I just left the first chapter as 'complete' cuz I didn't know when I'd get around to it. There will be one more chapter, and that will be the end of it. Ya dig?**

Disclaimer: Half the time I forget to say this (maybe because I think I actually do own the Teen Titans) but I don't. DC owns the characters, WB had some claim in it. I make no money from this (gods, if I could make money writing fanfics, I'd quit school and do it full time, yo).

Oh, and this has nothing to do with the story, but the whole time I was writing this I was listening to 'Better with the Lights Off,' which just makes me want to dance all over the place, so I can't believe I could finish this while dancing around in my chair. Lol.

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><p>Chapter 2: The Aftermath is Secondary<p>

No fuckin' way. It wasn't possible.

Trigon- the ever looming threat to the entire universe, the bane and reason for her existence, her father- had been defeated. By her. The girl he sired to ensure his triumph.

Raven released a shaky breath as she thought about it. Maybe now she could live her life? She would have to relearn the extents and limitations of her powers all over again, now that she wasn't hamstrung by her father's influence.

"Alright y'all, four eyes is history, his ghoulies are gone, and we just saved the whole dang universe! Who wants French toast?"

Raven raised an amused eyebrow at the meta-human's declaration as she entered the common room, having just changed back into her usual black leotard and blue cloak from the white her balanced powers had put her in. She left Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire to their antics and approached Robin by the windows that overlooked the bay. For the first time since he kissed her, she would initiate a conversation with him, not including when they were on missions.

"Slade got away?" She asked, her voice interested, but as always calm and level.

Robin was serious as he nodded in affirmative and said, "If he ever shows his face again we'll be ready."

Joining him as he looked out the window, she asked the question that had itched at her since he had shown her the safe room they had built for her in the tower, "How do you do it, Robin?"

Did he imagine that her voice softened when she said his name? "Do what?"

"Keep hoping." It really proved how incredible he was, as a hero and a person, and it mystified her. "After everything that happened, everything I did," the guilt rushed through her as she said that. Out of all the new emotions she hoped she could experience after her father's banishment, guilt wasn't high on the list, but still she felt it. "How did you keep hoping everything would work out?"

He turned toward her fully and she did the same. He said with honest conviction, "Because of you. You don't realize it Raven, but you're actually the most hopeful person I've ever met."

She looked at her reflection in the window, unable to see any good in herself- after being raised knowing she would destroy the universe, she didn't know if she would ever be able to find worth in her existence. He said, "From the day you were born they said you were evil, that you were born to do unspeakable things. But you wished for more. You dared to hope that you could be a hero."

As he finished she turned to look at him. The pride in his smile gave her some small amount of pride in herself. How did he make her feel so easily? "I thought it was all over. Now, suddenly," she trailed off, unsure of how to continue her sentence and her life.

Robin supplied her with, "You have your whole life ahead of you. You can decide your own destiny." He could hope that her destiny would include him, but it was ultimately her choice. He wouldn't begrudge her any option after all she had just been through. She deserved anything she wanted, because she had just spat in the face of her demonic heritage and hellish fate and saved everyone in the universe.

She even deserved to be totally cliche when she said, "I guess, in the end, there really is no end, just new beginnings." Her eyes filled with the hope he had always seen. She smiled so sweetly it made his heart pound. She always managed to capture his eye, but she defined beauty when she smiled. He took a moment to damn Beast Boy for interrupting the moment they were having earlier, when she hugged him as her savior.

She turned to their rambunctious friends and asked, "So what's the deal, are we having a party in here or not?"

The wrestling trio stopped to stare at their newly freed friend and hollered their consent. She glided down to them and Robin followed right after, not ready to be separated so soon after he almost lost her- and who didn't love a good party?

Three hours, several helpings of Cyborg's Award-winning French toast, and too many Beast Boy jokes later, Raven was sent to her room so that the others could remake her birthday party, since she had destroyed the one on her actual birthday and they all thought it necessary to celebrate now.

She took the familiar path through the hallways of her T-shaped home to her bedroom, her walk lighter than usual, lacking the weight of her destiny on her shoulders. She opened the door and felt comforted by her little room filled with her personal possessions. She passed her triangular bookshelf full of ancient tomes and classic literature, her drama masks, her meditation mirror. The overall effect of the dark colors and shadowed objects was, as Beast Boy said, creepy. But that was how she liked it. Just because she didn't have to fear her father any longer didn't mean she would turn into Starfire: a pink loving, bubbly girly-girl. She shuddered at the revolting thought. She had the same personality, interests and anti-social habits as she did before. Although, the anti-social part would change now, since that had been a necessity for meditation and control of her powers.

She looked towards her closed, dark curtains, which blocked out all the light from the floor to ceiling windows. Even if she was the same person, she was given, dare she say, a new lease on life, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to try to use it to become more open and happy. She pushed open the curtains for the first time since she'd moved into the room, and looked at the view out her window.

Her room directly overlooked Jump City. She leaned against the wall and gazed at the skyline. It was a bustling city; the people across the water didn't even know they had all been turned to stone. They were still going about their busy lives. That relieved her- she had feared what the people would think of her if they knew what she had almost let happen. Luckily, they remained ignorant. Blissful.

A knock on her door shook her out of her content, grateful, disbelieving thoughts. She opened her door to a grinning Robin. Upon seeing him, she felt blood rush to her face at the memory of another time he came to find her in her room. Robin smirked at her blush, correctly guessing her train of thoughts.

"I always seem to be coming to find you in here," he remarked offhandedly.

"Did you want something, Robin?" Though her syntax was the same as usual, her tone had lost all of the edge it once held for people who knocked on her door.

The shape of his domino mask seemed serious as he asked, "Can I come in?"

She stepped aside to let him in to the usually dark room. He noticed the change and observed, "You finally let some light in here. You know, your decorations are actually kind of cool when they're not shrouded in darkness."

She raised a brow at his choice in words. "'Shrouded in darkness?'"

He chuckled, but didn't answer. She sat on her bed and he did the same.

"So technically I'm supposed to be here to ask you what kind of cake you like, but Cy and I both know you're a closet chocolate junkie, so he's already working on it. I was just an excuse to get away from BB and Star and talk to you."

Raven quietly asked, "And what did you want to talk to me about?"

He took a long time to respond. He knew what he wanted, she could sense his determination and hope through her empathy, yet he couldn't find the right words. Eventually he looked up from his hands in his lap that he'd been staring at as he gathered his thoughts and stared straight in her clear, amethyst eyes. He said, "I wanted to ask you about your powers, and how your control over them will be now that your father is no longer a factor."

She stared right back. That pesky hope of his kept raising hope in her; they were hoping for the same thing, but he didn't know that. Leaning back on her arms casually she asked him, "Is that information you want as leader of the Titans?"

He shook his head. His gaze remained intense as he quietly spoke, "No. The reason is more personal." To every deity he prayed that he hadn't answered incorrectly.

He hadn't. She smiled. "If you had said otherwise, Robin, I would have told you to shove it up your ass." He smiled back. He would have laughed if not for the seriousness of their conversation.

She considered the question. Looking patient, he waited, but she could sense his impatience. "Well," She hedged, "My empathy seems to be unaffected."

He grinned sheepishly, aware of what she must have felt from him. For another pause he waited again, this time distracting himself by watching her think. Really, he didn't mind if she sensed his love for her. Honestly he hoped she did. When he had kissed her, right before Slade reappeared with Raven's destiny on his heels, he hadn't had the courage to finish his sentence and say the words, 'I love you.' The thought that he hadn't told her had pushed him more than anything else as he had followed his arch-enemy through a path to Raven, to Hell.

She felt it, alright. His all encompassing love washed over her sixth sense, and for a few moments she just basked in it. Then she decided what was necessary right at that point in time, and sighed as she cut off the feeling. This wasn't the time, no matter how much she wished it was. Well, you win some, you lose some.

"I don't know," she finally admitted.

"What don't you know?"

"I don't know if my control over my powers has been affected by banishing my father. I don't know if my powers will still lash out when I'm angry. I don't know if I've lost aspects of my power or gained any. I don't know. I'm sorry Robin. What you were hoping for when you came here, I can't give it to you."

Disappointment washed over the Boy Wonder. The strength of it would have knocked him on his ass had he not been sitting already. Raven winced as she felt it.

"Yet."

His head flew back up and he met her eyes. The single word seemed to echo in his mind- had he imagined it?

Raven gave him a small, reassuring, secretive smile. Then it, like her final word, disappeared, and she was serious again.

"I'm going to have to take some time to concentrate on making sure my powers haven't changed because of this ordeal. Then after that, if all is well, I want to try experiencing emotions. I want to finally open up to my friends, and let them open up to me. Years have passed since we became a team, I think it's time I actually act friendly with my friends."

The boy next to her remained silent as he waited for her to give him some signal that his hopes were justified. All he had to go on was her response to one kiss. If she was going to shut him down, now was the time for it.

"It may take a while to sort through all of this, and adjust to the idea that I actually have a life to live, that I'm not a portal anymore, but just a person. A hero. It will be some time before the opening up part of the plan arrives, especially if enemies will be attacking constantly."

Robin finally found his tongue. "If I'm willing to wait?"

Repressing a blush, Raven said simply, "Well, I won't stop you."

"Is that a promise?"

She nearly gasped at his voice; it was deep and husky, full of suggestion. She answered him sarcastically to hide her immediate and intense response to it. "Yes, Boy Blunder. You can keep that hope you're so fond of."

Suddenly he pulled her pale face to his and planted a hot kiss on her. Though shocked, she responded for a moment before pulling back, glazed-over amethyst eyes looking into white domino. He smirked at her look and said, "Yeah, I definitely will."

With that, Robin stood up and walked to her door. She sat on her bed and watched him leave. Her body was filled with warmth but covered in goosebumps from his kiss as she tried to understand the feelings. Contrary to her previous thoughts, it was easy to allow herself to feel emotions. The hard part was figuring out which specific ones she felt as they came. This, almost positively, she decided was arousal. But that made her wonder: is that an actual emotion or a physical state? She would have to think about that one.

Robin stopped right before he opened her door and seemed to consider something. She sensed a bit of fear and uncertainty,as well as determination, right before he turned around and walked right back to her. He leaned his face down to her, but bypassed her lips, to her disappointment. Instead, he pressed his soft lips to the spot where her jaw met her ear. Keeping contact with her skin, his lips slid up to her ear and he whispered into it.

His words nearly made her cry with- happiness, relief or gratitude? She'd have to figure that one out too, she thought as she hugged him.

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><p><strong>AN 2: Oooooh, I wonder what he said to her, hmmm?** I'm gonna write the last chapter this weekend (MLK day means monday off, yay civil rights movement!), so look forward to that. And Review. It'll be a happy, kinda hot ending. So Review. **I'm holding the finale hostage until I get enough reviews. So you'll want to Review. I got 7 for the 1st chapter, so when I get 8 more for this chapter I'll post the last chapter.**

Oh, and in the third chapter, maybe I'll tell you about a Rob/Rae chapter story I'm in the process of outlining. It's gonna be really cool (I hope.)

**Did I tell you to review? Lol, Cheers.**


	3. Feeling This: post 'Revved Up'

**A/N: The promised finale of C'est Pas Une Vie. Hm, that title doesn't really fit this anymore. Oh well. So this is after the episode "Revved Up," where they have a huge race to get back Robin's most prized possession. At the end, he shows it to his team, but never to the audience (GRR). I included what I thought would be in the box.**** Anyway (besides "GO!") "Revved Up" is the final episode before the final battle with the Brotherhood of Evil****. This is the end of this trilogy. Enjoy!**

**By the way, in my mind, the T-plane can turn invisible.  
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><p>Chapter 3: Feeling This<p>

When Robin clicked the lock, took a deep breath, and revealed his most prized possession to his team, he felt more nervous than he had in years. He hid behind a mask for a reason- so he wouldn't have to bare himself to anyone- friend or foe. So he could have the support of a team, without the emotional attachment. So he could have enemies without personal risk.

Well, staying away from emotional attachment blew out of the water when he fell in love with Raven. Go figure that the most secretive person of them all would be the one to make him willing to expose his past. Though she didn't hide so much since they- she- had defeated Trigon.

Still, after all the build up, the long race, the desperate curiosity, he expected a bigger reaction from all of them. The case opened, revealing one object: the one proof of his past that he didn't leave safely in his room in Wayne Manor, but couldn't allow anyone to find with him while he was 'Robin of the Teen Titans.'

A family picture.

The pose of the three people looked so perfectly natural that it seemed contrived. The Graysons sat together in front of a large drape of cloth that appeared to be the side of a tent, on an old, green, sunken couch, Mary Grayson on the left, John Grayson on the right, baby Richard in Mary's lap. John leaned toward his wife, an arm around her shoulder, his other hand patting his son's head, and looked at the camera. Mary sat straight and stared directly at the person taking the picture. Both of her hands held Dick, whose mouth opened widely in a laugh that made him squirm in his mother's grip. The smile on John's face was soft with love for his family. Dick was wearing a onesie with a circus logo on it- Haly's circus. John wore a button down shirt, made of cotton, thick and probably not often worn, as the circus performer lived most of his life in work out clothes, preparing his act. His wife wore a plain white blouse and a beautiful eternal smile.

But the Titans didn't really know what it was, or rather, who was in the picture. Except for Raven. As soon as she saw the precious image she gasped. Another image flashed behind her eyes: the image of the two people, a few years older, falling to their deaths from a booby-trapped trapeze act before the eyes of the photo's baby, then a boy, now almost a man. She released her breath with a soft, "Oh," the pure emotion of which led the four other Titans to look at her rather than the real object of interest. Her eyes were misty with unshed tears as she picked up the framed photo from the case. She studied it, much as Richard himself often had in the days, months, years since his family was murdered in front of him. Finally, she looked up her leader and whispered, "Robin," her eyes full of sadness, and even a little bit of longing- whether for a family or for him he didn't know.

He smiled at her, though his eyes matched hers exactly- his longed for both his family and her.

The exchange confused the remaining three Titans. When Raven placed the frame back into its place in the case, they looked at it once more. Cyborg caught on first, and asked, "Robin, is that your family?"

Robin nodded gravely. Starfire and Beast Boy, only now understanding, gasped, and stared harder at the picture.

"That is most glorious! Please friend, may we meet your parents?" Starfire asked, full of wonder at this new found fact about her crush. She didn't notice Raven flinch at the question.

"Sorry, Star, but they've been dead a long time," Robin said.

Starfire gasped in horror at herself, "Oh, no friend Robin, it is I should be sorry. Please accept my most sincere apologies for bringing up such a sad subject." Robin waved her off, telling her not to worry.

Cyborg nodded, "I'm sorry man. They look like good people. I'm sure they'd be proud of all you've done."

Robin gave Cyborg a genuine smile. "That means a lot, Cy. Thank you."

Beast Boy stared at the picture throughout the exchange. Raven felt emotions tumbling up from Beast Boy that she'd never known him to possess. He hid deep grief and disappointment, as well as cynicism and anger. Raven could tell that Robin's story had struck a chord with Beast Boy's past.

"If it's any consolation, dude," Beast Boy threw out, trying to grin like he were telling a joke, "My parents died too."

Robin clapped his younger teammate on the shoulder and rested his hand there. A look passed between the orphaned boys, a look that said they understood each others pain, and didn't need to trade banal condolences, because the best support they could give would be to treat each other the same as before. Raven felt the emotions of both as they had the moment. The depth and spectrum of feelings amazed her.

Robin gave Beast Boy's shoulder a final squeeze, before closing and locking the case.

"Alright, enough fooling around. Cyborg, is the T-plane ready for some heavy flying?"

Cyborg, immediately on task, considered for a moment. He said, "There are some repairs I need to do. Some of the work I've done while we've been on the road were temporary and won't last much longer. It'll take a few hours, then it'll be good as new."

Raven asked, "Need any help?"

He shook his head, "Nah, but when we finish off the Brotherhood of Evil and get back home I'm gonna need to rebuild the T-car. You in?"

The empath rolled her eyes in response, "Aren't I always? This will have to be at least the fourth time we rebuild this car."

"And I haven't been allowed to drive any of them," Beast Boy whined. Cyborg mock-glared at his green friend.

Robin interrupted their friendly banter, "Come on, we have to get back to the beginning of this stupid track and get to work. The Brotherhood never rests, and neither can we."

"No rest for the wicked," came Raven's aside. Focusing her powers and saying her mantra, Raven opened a black portal that swallowed the five teens. When her black energy released them, they found themselves right beside the hidden T-plane, near where Ding Dong Daddy had started the race, in a desert surrounded by mountains. Robin gave an approving nod to her. She nodded in response, face blank.

An hour later found Robin, having ordered the rest of the team to rest while Cyborg worked on the T-plane, programming several spare communicators. He hadn't explained what he was doing, but he would tell them his plan when the time came. As he entered coordinates into his own communicator and sent them to his teammates' for reference on their upcoming missions, he felt tense and nervous. The upcoming battle would be extremely dangerous. It was up in the air if they would win. He thought of Raven- the idea of her getting hurt if he failed to lead them well pierced his heart with ice. He didn't want to lose the most important person to him again. He didn't want to be left with just a picture to stare at with regret again.

The Boy Wonder emitted fear, insecurity, and sadness in equal amounts. As Raven approached him silently she knew why he was feeling that. She understood him. She understood the pressure he was under as leader. And dammit she understood the fear of losing a loved one- she didn't want to lose him either.

Stopping directly behind the boy she finally had to admit she loved, she knew he knew she was there, and who she was, and why she was there. For once, Raven allowed their mental connection, usually cut off by both of them through natural instinct, to open and flow reassurances to the worrying hero.

Some things, though, needed to be said aloud. The others were sleeping in spots that looked particularly uncomfortable, except for Cyborg who was out of earshot and engrossed in his work, so she didn't worry they would overhear when she said, "I'm not going anywhere, Robin. And neither are the others. We can all take care of ourselves and each other, and we will win this battle. I know it. So stop worrying, because you're going to give me a headache."

Her characteristic jab made him smile genuinely for what felt like the first time in a long time. She walked around him and sunk down to sit cross-legged before him. Looking at him with concern on her face, she asked, "Beast Boy's parents, did you know about them?"

He shook his head, "I suspected that something like that must have happened, but I didn't want to pry. I didn't really know anything about his past except that he spent some time with the Doom Patrol. I guess I don't really know much about any of the team's pasts."

"You know mine," she countered.

He frowned, "By no choice of yours. That was thrust upon us in the form of an evil demon and his servant, my arch-nemesis."

Shrugging, her response was simply, "Nevertheless."

They sat in silence for a time. Robin felt less anxious than before thanks to her presence, and finished his task on the T-com. Once he had finished that, he took to staring at his companion. Her eyes were closed as she sat perfectly straight, looking pensive and beautiful.

After a while, her eyebrow twitched slightly, and she said, "You know Robin, I can feel you staring."

He smirked, "And what are you gonna do about it."

Conceding, she shrugged. She opened her eyes and stared through his mask into his. He felt like she was looking into his soul, or his mind. And he was right- she was trying to scan his feelings with her empathy, and trying to locate explanations for her findings in his head through their bond. She finally realized what had brought on his melancholy. Why hadn't she thought of it before?

Gently, she placed her hand over his that rested on the ground and said sympathetically, "It was hard for you to show us the picture, wasn't it?"

He nodded. "Harder than I thought it would be. I mean, I didn't even tell them my real name, but still, I've never showed that picture to anyone except Batman-"

"Bruce."

His eyebrows shot up at her interruption. "What?"

She shrugged, "You can use his real name when you're talking to me. I already know. I was in your head, remember? The most important parts of your life were the death of your parents and your work under Batman, so those stood out."

Surprisingly, her assurance didn't make him uncomfortable. There was no one he trusted more with his secrets. "Alright then. Bruce," he started again, surprised at how good it felt to talk about his actual benefactor rather than the cold, masked vigilante, "Is the only person I've shown that photo, so I didn't know if I even wanted to show you guys. I knew you deserved it, and I can trust you all, and eventually I planned to tell you all who I am. Just not now, while we're across the world from home, on a tiring mission that I don't know we can win. Thinking about my parents, it just reminded me of how helpless I was, and still am at times, and it..."

"It made you doubt yourself as leader."

"Yes. And I was afraid that if I failed, you would get hurt, Rae. That's what I'm most afraid of. I don't want to lose my family again, especially you."

Raven looked at him. Most would think her face was emotionless, but Robin could see the softening of her eyes, the slight curve at the edge of her lips that was Raven's most sincere, heartfelt smile. "And I told you I'm not going anywhere. It'll all work out. Even if I have to do it all myself, the Brotherhood will not win."

He chuckled, "You're starting to sound like me. We will do this as a team." His hand flipped from under hers where it still rested, and entwined his fingers with hers, backing up his statement.

A small scowl made its way to her face as she looked at the recently programmed communicators. "You say that, but you plan for us to split up soon?"

"It's our best option. We need to keep contact with all honorary Titans if we are to have a chance at beating the Brotherhood," he reasoned. She nodded in acquiescence. His mind was made, and she would follow orders in hopes that they would congregate for the final battle all the faster.

"Then I guess," she said in a slow monotone, "I'll have to do this now."

With no other warning, Robin suddenly felt Raven's lips on his. His arms circled her waist and her hands rested on chest. They both sat on their knees, their bodies separated by about an inch of space that neither dared to close for the sweet moment. They quietly and softly kissed for a few seconds before Raven's cheek slid against his so she could whisper in his ear, "I love you more than anything. And I'll wait for you."

Robin pulled his head back to stare at her in shock. "You're stealing my lines now?"

Her arms moved up his chest agonizingly slowly to wrap around his neck, "I just thought hearing it would make you happy, since I nearly cried after you said it to me."

He smirked, "Alright." His face became confused, "But what about your powers?"

Absently threading her fingers through his spiky hair, driving him crazy, she answered, "Have you seen me blow anything up with anger since the battle with Trigon? I've done a great deal of meditation, surveyed my inner emotions, practiced on the obstacle courses, fought battles with countless villains, and even befriended a group of super-powered toddlers- at this point, I'm sure that my control over my powers has improved if from nothing more than from my focus on them. But since my father's defeat I've felt freer, I've experienced more emotion, and I've never been overcome with his rage. Even when I get mad now, I don't sprout four red eyes."

"So does that mean-"

Raven sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes to heaven, "Oh, would you stop asking questions?"

"Gladly."

This time he initiated the kiss, and this time neither of them ended it until they had to breathe. Gasping a quick gulp of oxygen, Robin moved down to plant several quick kisses on Raven's jaw as she panted before returning to her parted lips. His arms tightened around her, bringing her flush against him. Once she was there, his mouth still working hers, his hands wandered down, one remaining on her ass, the other continuing on to stroke her thigh. He moved to place her on the ground to better access her body, but she moved back. The satisfying sound of their lips separating was followed by their heavy breathing. Finally she whispered, her voice breathless, "Hold up there, Boy Wonder. This isn't the time or place."

He raised an eyebrow. "So what would be an appropriate time and place?"

Heavy-lidded eyes twinkled while her smirking lips said, "I was thinking your room once we defeat the Brotherhood."

The very aroused object of her affections smirked at her, and answered, "I like the way you think. Any particular reason you picked my room and not yours?"

"Yours is farther from the others' rooms. Less chance they'll hear us."

Somewhat shocked and amused, Robin chuckled. "Who knew cold, emotionless Raven had thoughts like that? But are you going to want to keep this from the team?"

Her serious face returned. "If possible for a little while. I mean, Cy already pretty much knows; he knows the both of us too well not to, and he has been my occasional confidante lately. But Star will be really jealous, and Beast Boy would be Beast Boy. So I'm hoping with a little time she'll get over the crush she has on you, and Beast Boy grow up."

"I suppose anything is possible. I have noticed him become more serious when it comes to the Brotherhood. Maybe that's a good omen for the future?"

Raven rolled her eyes, "One can only pray."

Robin chuckled. "Speaking of prayers, I'd really like to see you wearing my clothes again."

His partner's eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Is that what you pray for? Don't answer that. It's an insult to the Goddess. But looking like a traffic light isn't really my style. Maybe if you start wearing black and blue like Star said you would. What did she call you? Nightwing? I kinda like it."

They disentangled themselves, and sat side-by-side and hand-in-hand for another while, just enjoying each others' presence, occasionally exchanging witty banter, mentally preparing themselves for the upcoming separation and the encroaching battles they would face before such a time as they could move forward with their relationship. For now it was enough that they had told each other their feelings, and could have a peaceful moment together.

Cyborg eventually called them over to tell them the T-plane was done. When they walked over still holding hands, he smiled indulgently at them and went to wake the last two team members. Raven gave Robin one last peck on the lips before letting go of his hand and moving towards her pod.

It was time to get to work.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Fin. Now, if you liked, review, then go read my other stories and review them. Especially 'Robin's Girl' and 'Ice Queen.' They want more reviews :'(**

**Oh, and in case it wasn't clear, "I love you more than anything. I'll wait for you," was what Robin said to her at the end of chapter 2, and Raven repeated it to him here because it made her so happy.**

**BTW, can anyone guess who sings the song I named this chapter after? Or what song the line I named Chapter 2 came from?  
><strong>

Um, I think I said that I'd tell you about a story I'm planning. Um, let's see... I don't really want to tell you yet, cuz I haven't started writing it yet. But it's Rae/Rob, slightly AU, Drama, Action, Romance... should be good if my writing skills are up to the challenge. Can I expect all of your support?

**Man this note is long. REVIEW! Cheers!**


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